Jayden Schaper will carry a five-shot lead into Friday’s final round of the SA Stroke Play at De Zalze Golf Club.
The Ebotse star failed to match his stunning bogey-free 63 from Wednesday, but rallied late to ensure enough breathing room from history-chasing Wilco Nienaber.
Nienaber, winner of the SA Amateur and looking to become the seventh winner of the famous double, is the nearest challenger after a 68.
Like Schaper, his round also included a double drop, as the Bloemfontein prodigy made just a single par on his back nine.
In total, Nienaber’s round included seven birdies and an eagle, only to be offset by three drops and his costly mistake on the 15th.
Schaper was two-under early, but a drop on the seventh and a double on the tricky short par-3 ninth would’ve got the nerves running. Already accustomed to winning top events, he bounced back with a run that included three pars and three birdies to pull away from the pack.
A bogey on the par-3 16th was corrected by a closing birdie and a third round 70 for a championship score of -15.
Sharing third, but six behind with just 18 to play are 2018 SA Amateur champion Deon Germishuys and Scotland’s Euan Walker, who won the African Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek two weeks back.
